Minister of State for Defence, Mrs. Olusola Obada

SenatorIroegbu

The Federal Government has disclosed plans to embark on a comprehensive overhaul and reconstruction of  the armed forces to  ensure more efficient, effective and rapid response to the  emerging security challenges.

Minister of State for Defence, Mrs. Olusola Obada, gave this hint yesterday, while inaugurating Course 21 Participants of the National Defence College (NDC) in Abuja.

Obada explained that the objective of the ministry was to overhaul and transform the armed forces into an institution that “would be able to prove its worth whenever it is called upon to do so.”

She said: “The idea is to have a defence force, capable of responding rapidly and decisively across the full spectrum of military operations. In order to guarantee national security, and influence the global environment to the advantage of our country. In pursuance of the objective, the ministry had taken initiatives to re-equip the services and enhance the welfare of officers and men.”

The minister also said the initiatives includes re-orientation of the armed forces for proper appreciation of its relationship with civil authority and building virile and intellectually sound armed forces, through training and re-training.

Obada told the participants that they have a great role to play at ensuring that the country move its armed forces forward for the betterment of the nation and region.
She noted that the participants were in the college because they were expected to help in future with the process of transformation.

“At the NDC, you will be exposed to all the rudiments of state craft, international relations, research, ICT management and defence and security matters,” she noted.